Lesbian and Gay Community Services Center Inc

YOUTH SERVICES: CENTER YOUTH: IS COMPRISED OF YOUTH LEADERSHIP, YOUTH SUBSTANCE USE PREVENTION, & YOUTH CLUBHOUSE SERVICES. CENTER YOUTH PROVIDES A SAFE, INCLUSIVE AND AFFIRMING ENVIRONMENT TO FOSTER RELATIONSHIPS, PERSONAL AND PROFESSIONAL SKILLS AND THE EVOLUTIONS OF IDENTITY. OPEN TO YOUNG PEOPLE BETWEEN THE AGES OF 13-21, THE PROGRAM BUILDS SELF-ESTEEM AND HELPS READY YOUTH FOR VARIOUS LIFE STAGES. SERVICES INCLUDE PEER LEADERSHIP TRAINING, SUMMER CAMP, DISCUSSION GROUPS, COLLEGE PREPARATION, CAREER AND VOCATIONAL GUIDANCE, MENTORING, INDIVIDUAL PREVENTION COUNSELING AND ACTIVITY GROUPS, MUSIC & ARTS PROGRAMMING, AND PAID EXTERNSHIPS/INTERNSHIPS. CENTER YOUTH ALSO LEADS A CITYWIDE COALITION OF YOUTH PROVIDERS AND YOUNG PEOPLE DESIGNED TO SUPPORT YOUNG PEOPLE AT THE INTERSECTION OF SUBSTANCE USE AND HOMELESSNESS. THE COALITION CONDUCTS AN ANNUAL NEEDS ASSESSMENT OF THE TARGET POPULATION AND MAKES POLICY RECOMMENDATIONS AT THE CITY AND STATE LEVELS.

Advocacy, Government Affairs and Arts and Culture: THE ADVOCACY AND GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS DEPARTMENT ADVANCES EQUITABLE AND AFFIRMING POLICIES, PROTECTIONS AND OPPORTUNITIES FOR ALL LGBTQ PEOPLE ACROSS NEW YORK STATE BY LEADING MOBILIZATION EFFORTS BUILT ON DEEP COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT AND STRATEGIC COALITION BUILDING. THE CENTER LEADS A STATEWIDE ADVOCACY INITIATIVE THAT SEEKS TO CREATE LASTING CHANGE FOR THE CIVIL RIGHTS OF THE LGBTQ COMMUNITY OF NEW YORK STATE. AS PART OF THIS INITIATIVE, THE CENTER SUPPORTS THE DIVERSE INTERSECTIONS OF OUR COMMUNITY TO ENFORCE, PROTECT AND ADVANCE LGBTQ+ RIGHTS THROUGH PROACTIVE POLICY AND LEGISLATIVE WORK AND ALSO BY EDUCATING, EMPOWERING AND MOBILIZING OUR COMMUNITY MEMBERS VIA THE PROVISION OF CIVIC ENGAGEMENT TOOLS AND TRAININGS THAT INCUBATE AND DEVELOP THE EMERGING LEADERS AND ACTIVISTS ACROSS NEW YORK STATE. THE CENTER IS ALSO A FOUNDING MEMBER AND CURRENT ADMINISTRATOR OF THE NYS LGBT HHS NETWORK, A COALITION OF LGBTQ+ NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATIONS THAT PROVIDE HOLISTIC HEALTH CARE, EDUCATION, LEGAL AND SOCIAL SERVICES TO LGBTQ+ COMMUNITIES IN NEW YORK. AS ADMINISTRATOR, THE CENTER WORKS WITH NETWORK MEMBER AND COMMUNITY MEMBERS TO INCREASE ACCESS TO A DIVERSE RANGE OF HIGH-QUALITY SERVICES AND RESOURCES., AS WELL AS INCREASING RECOGNITION OF AND FUNDING FOR THE CONTINUUM OF HEALTH CARE NEEDS IN THE LGBTQ COMMUNITIES ACROSS NEW YORK. THE CENTER IS THE BACKBONE OF OUR COMMUNITY, AND OUR DEDICATED INFORMATION AND REFERRAL STAFF HELP THOUSANDS OF VISITORS NAVIGATE THE CENTER AND ALL OF NEW YORK CITY EVERY WEEK. COMBINE OUR SERVICES AND PROGRAMMING WITH OUR ROLE IN THE COMMUNITY, THEN PLACE ALL OF THIS IN A FACILITY LIKE OURS, AND WHAT YOU GET IS A ONE OF A KIND LGBT CENTER WITH A SPECIAL PURPOSE. OUR FUNCTION IS TO PROVIDE A PLACE IN WHICH LGBT PEOPLE CAN MEET, SEEK SERVICES AND FIND SUPPORT. WHAT TRULY DIFFERENTIATES THE CENTER IS THE SENSE OF HOME THAT WE PROVIDE FOR THE MORE THAN 6,000 PEOPLE WHO VISIT US EACH WEEK. IN ADDITION TO OFFERING AFFORDABLE MEETINGS ROOMS AND EVENT SPACES FOR RENT, THE CENTER IS A RESOURCE AND INFORMATION HUB. OUR INFORMATION AND REFERRAL STAFF COORDINATE THOUSANDS OF ACTIVITIES EACH YEAR ON BEHALF OF THE LGBT ORGANIZATIONS, INDIVIDUALS AND NONPROFITS WHO HOST THEIR FUNCTIONS IN OUR BUILDING. ALSO A HOME FOR THE ARTS AND EDUCATION SINCE ITS INCEPTION, THE CENTER IS AT THE HEART OF LGBT CULTURE IN NEW YORK CITY. FROM THE FAMOUS KEITH HARING MURAL TO OTHER PERMANENT AND ROTATING ART INSTALLATIONS, THE CENTER PROVIDES A FORUM FOR ARTISTS, AUTHORS AND PERFORMERS TO CREATE, CELEBRATE AND CONNECT. THE CENTER IS ALSO HOME TO THE PAT PARKER/VITO RUSSO CENTER LIBRARY AND THE LGBT COMMUNITY CENTER NATIONAL HISTORY ARCHIVES. OPEN BY APPOINTMENT, THE CENTER'S ARCHIVE COLLECTION HAS GROWN TO INCLUDE THOUSANDS OF PAPERS, PERIODICALS, CORRESPONDENCE AND PHOTOGRAPHS DONATED BY LGBT COMMUNITY MEMBERS AND ORGANIZATIONS. LGBT COMMUNITY MEMBERS AND ORGANIZATIONS.